Glenn Beck has repeatedly attacked financier and philanthropist George Soros with anti-Semitic stereotypes, referring to Soros as a "puppet master" and accusing him of controlling the media, the political process, and the global economy.

Beck: Soros is "the puppet master"

Beck portrays Soros as "the puppet master" during ads for his Soros episode. On his Fox News show, Glenn Beck has repeatedly[1] referred to Soros as a "puppet master" while promoting the November 9, 2010, edition of his Fox News show, which he claims will "expose" Soros. During one ad[2] for the program that referred to Soros as a "puppet master," an on-screen image of the Star of David faded into an image of Soros:

Beck called Soros the "king" and President Obama a pawn. On the September 15, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck, Beck displayed[3] a large chess board, which he claimed would illustrate "how far the establishment will go to protect the power that they have built up." Beck assigned various figures roles based on the pieces of the chess game. Beck said, "Now, who are the king and queen and the advisers and the knights, the protection of the castle?" Grabbing the king piece, Beck continued, "Well, if I may -- I think you've got Soros." Beck later said that Barack and Michelle Obama were "pawns."

Beck: "I'm going to introduce the puppet master, George Soros." Appearing on the November 5, 2010, edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Beck displayed a puppet that he said "isn't just any puppet" and that it "is George Soros." Beck went on to say, "On Tuesday, I'm going to introduce the puppet master, George Soros, and -- and all of the stuff the spooky dude does" (transcript from the Nexis database).

Beck: "A special hour on the puppet master, George Soros. ... [Y]our republic's at stake." In a November 6, 2010, ad[4] on Fox News, Beck said, "One of the most important shows I've ever done. Tuesday night on the Glenn Beck program, a special hour on the puppet master, George Soros. It's something you won't hear on any other network. Your republic's at stake -- set your DVR now. Five p.m. Eastern."

Beck: "Will the George Soroses of the world control everything?" From the October 27, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck (from Nexis):

BECK: November 2nd will determine which road America will take. Will we start on the path to restoring honor and trust and common sense in Washington? Or will we continue down the road where anything goes, the ends justify the means and people can just look at you and lie to your face and there's no repercussions? Will we continue to live in a world where political games and the political allies and the George Soroses of the world control everything?

Have you noticed Nancy Pelosi and President Obama and his administration keep talking about the economy and how it's recovering, it's on the right track, and how they're saving jobs left and right? Watch.

Beck: Soros "is the head of the snake." During the October 15, 2010, edition of his Fox News show, Beck claimed that "most everybody in the early progressive movement, their father or somebody involved, was a preacher. And they hated it." Guest David Barton then said, "The ACLU was headed by a preacher in the progressive movement; Americans for Democratic Action, headed by a preacher in the progressive movement -- it is amazing how many of these progressive organizations were headed by preachers." Beck then invoked Jim Wallis, who guest Calvin Beisner said "takes money from George Soros." Beck then said[5] Soros "is the head of the snake."

Beck: Soros controls the economy

Beck cited anti-Semitic smear that Soros pursued a Jewish "agenda" to collapse Southeast Asian currencies. On the October 5, 2010, edition of his Fox News show, Beck continued[6] his smear campaign against George Soros, saying that "many, including the Malaysian prime minister, believe it was billionaire speculator George Soros who helped trigger the [Southeast Asian] economic meltdown" in 1997, a reference to former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's false and anti-Semitic claim that Soros was part of a Jewish "agenda" to collapse Southeast Asian currencies. In an October 10, 1997, report from the Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian(excerpted by BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, accessed via Nexis), Mahathir was quoted as saying: "We do not want to say that this is a plot by the Jews, but in reality it is a Jew who triggered the currency plunge, and coincidentally Soros is a Jew. It is also a coincidence that the Malaysians are mostly Muslim." From the report:

Kuala Terengganu, 10th October: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that the government suspects that the Jews have an agenda to destroy the economy of this country and other Muslim countries. Also Dr Mahathir did not reject the possibility that the attack on the local currency was to shut his mouth so that he would stop criticizing George Soros, a Jew who hailed from Hungary. "We do not want to say that this is a plot by the Jews, but in reality it is a Jew who triggered the currency plunge, and coincidentally Soros is a Jew. It is also a coincidence that the Malaysians are mostly Muslim."

"Indeed, the Jews are not happy to see Muslims. If it were Palestine, the Jews would rob Palestinians. Thus this is what they are doing to our country," he said when referring to Soros' involvement in the depreciation of the ringgit.

According to an October 11, 1997, Agence France-Presse article (from Nexis), Mahathir later denied that he was suggesting a Jewish agenda resulted in his country's economic crisis:

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Saturday said he did not accuse the Jews of undermining the economy of Malaysia and other Moslem countries.

"I merely stated that this person (American financier George Soros) is Jewish," Mahathir was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency in the Moslem dominated eastern coastal state of Terengganu.

As AFP reported[7] in an October 15, 2006, article, Mahathir met with Soros and said of their meeting: "Mr Soros said he was not involved in the devaluation of the Malaysian currency and that other people were involved. And I have accepted that."

Beck: Soros is a "puppet master" looking to create a "new world order." During the November 3, 2010, edition of his Fox News show, Beck said that Soros was the "puppet master" who was "on the other end of Barack's BlackBerry." Beck went on to suggest Soros was using the Federal Reserve to create a "new world order" (transcript from Nexis).

Beck: Soros and his "minion, Al Gore" have "been preparing this new world order for a long time. They helped create it." From the September 23, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck (from Nexis):

BECK: This is the way of the world. The elites have decided that the world is unsustainable. And so, we've got to have cute, little cooking stove with the Land Rover, and redistribute the wealth. And that way, we'll be able to have a global system and everything will be on the road to recovery -- not for Homer, but for these guys.

You notice I said that we -- we'll have global governance run by elites. I'm not an elite. Are you elite?

You don't really have a say. I don't have a say on this. I didn't know about the stupid cook stove idea. Did you get a shot of that one?

This is about Land Rover and Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. That's what this is about. Those companies that are still in existence, they stand to make billions every year. The rich -- and I don't mean the rich guy, you know, who you work for at the factory that you see every day. Hey, Bill the rich millionaire. I don't mean that guy.

I mean these guys, George Soros, spooky dudes who are waiting over here to buy the cook stove. Yes, and I got my minion, Al Gore. And we are going to make cook stoves for everybody. Well, not everybody, but we will have plenty of food for our cook stoves.

People are writing our policy over cocktail parties, pushing the climate change, carbon trade garbage and getting richer and richer and richer on whose money? Your dollars. Yours. They are taking it through your tax dollars.

You have nothing to do with it. We are buying cook stoves!

The regular CEOs are freaking out right now. Most of them voted for these clowns, but they're freaking out now because they can't keep the doors open. They know we're in trouble.

But those are the regular CEOs. Not the Soros type players, the globalists. They have been preparing this new world order for a long time. They helped create it. Look at how Al Gore has positioned himself. He has profited on the hysteria he created, increasing his personal wealth 50 to 100 times or more.

Look, I got no problem anybody wants to be a capitalist. I got no problem on that. But while you're increasing the fortunes of the elites, they're also galvanizing their power and setting up global governance and he is living in a mansion that is using 10 times the amount of electricity that you and I are supposed to use.

Just don't be a hypocrite about it, Al.

Beck: Soros is "one of the guys looking to replace the capitalist system once it's been destroyed." On the June 21, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck, Beck said[8], "I don't know if [Soros] is a radical that's been trying to implement the Cloward and Piven strategy on collapsing the system." Beck went on to claim that Soros is "one of the guys looking to replace the capitalist system once it has been destroyed." This accusation is based on a distortion of a Soros quote. Soros said that the international currency system -- not the capitalist system -- is "broken and needs to be reconstituted."

Beck: Soros is orchestrating a collapse of American currency to enrich himself. On the October 5, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck, Beck claimed that Soros "thought the dollar needs to be devalued" and cited a Financial Timesop-ed[9] in which Soros argued for more stimulus spending. Beck said, "Spooky dude says spend more money." He added[10]: "I don't know if this is the start of the latest, you know, Soros push to collapse a currency. I don't know if this is it; oh, but it's coming. Be prepared, because powerful people like George Soros would like that to happen. Because they're preparing. Have you?"

Beck: Soros "likes to crush the market," then "makes a financial move" at "the right time." On the October 18, 2010, edition[11] of his radio show, Beck said:

Please, watchdogs, keep your eye on George Soros. George Soros' time is about to come. He is a guy who likes to crush the market and he waits and he positions, and then he makes a financial move. He waits for the right time, and his time is coming, where he's gonna say, "I don't know if I have confidence in this currency anymore," and it's over.

He's doing exactly the same thing now with the confidence in the Democratic Party. Here's George Soros, a guy who is funding to what, $400 million? Some of these organizations -- his Open Society shadow government -- and this guy has just come out and said he's not going to help the Democrats at all, because it's inevitable. George Soros' power is not in a star chamber, his power is -- you remember the E.F. Hutton commercials? "If E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen." That's George Soros. The guy's practically a damn country, and when he says something, others take notice. So he's been telegraphing, "I'm not going to spend any money." Why would you do that? "I'm not going to spend any money in this election for any of these Democrats." That freezes the money of others, they're like, "You know what, if George Soros ain't gonna do it -- if he doesn't think it's worth doing, I ain't gonna to do it."

That's exactly what he does on the economy, and I want you to watch, because it happens every time. He will come out between the election and the bond auction, which I think is in March, and he is gonna come out with a statement that says, "This government, now of the Republicans, is irresponsible because of x, y, or z. They're spending too much, they're not cutting enough, they're" -- whatever it is, I don't know what combination it'll be, but he'll say, "This -- I don't have confidence that this government is going to be able to pull through this economic crisis with these kinds of things, I'm looking at maybe the United States currency not being a good investment." And it will be over.

You think I'm wrong, Pat? I think this is what's coming. So watchdogs, please, watch everything you can on George Soros, and know that he is -- I don't know if he's the guy behind the BlackBerry, but -- I decided today I'm going to do a special on George Soros. We're going to do an hour long -- maybe a two-day special. But it's not going to just be a "hey we're doing a special show." We're going to do a documentary on him. And we've been researching him for quite some time. But I think we're going to -- we were just going to do a show. I think I'm going to do a special on him, because Americans need to know who the guy is in the shadow. Who is this guy? And what is he planning? Don't know what he's planning for the future, but I can show you his past. And boy, things aren't looking good.

Beck: Soros "won't care when our day of reckoning comes because he'll profit on that." From the August 25, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck (from Nexis):

BECK: Look, gang, this is all about power. Do you know who is taking money out of the stock market? Who's taking the off-ramp right now? George Soros. Wait a minute, you mean the guy who's -- yes, the guy who's issuing these statements on me? Yes! George Soros, the fund management, reduced his $25 billion in equity investments to $8.8 billion in March and then down to $5.1 billion at the end of June. Why? He's getting out of the market because he knows.

Experts are saying that they believe he is shifting his money towards government bonds. Gee, what do you think? Maybe to be liquid.

This guy doesn't care about people or countries, just money and power. He didn't care when he famously profited off of England's misery. He won't care when our day of reckoning comes because he'll profit on that as well. He and his family will be going to Singapore.

Well, can your family go to Singapore? Make no mistake. The day is coming and we must stick together and rely on the truth.

Beck: Soros controls the Democratic Party and "the left"

Beck: Democrats "were eaten" by "the labor unions, the communists, the radicals, the globalists, George Soros." During the May 12, 2010, edition of his Fox News show, Beck criticized Republican Sen. Bob Bennett (UT) for "working with Democrats." Beck said, "And again, let me give the hot news flash to the 'New York Times.' Bob Bennett and anyone else living under the illusion of a true Democratic Party -- what are you smoking? The Democrats don't exist anymore. They were eaten by the progressives -- the labor unions, the communists, the radicals, the globalists, George Soros -- yes" (from Nexis).

Beck: "You'll understand the role that George Soros plays" in the Democratic Party being "over," "gone." On the November 9, 2010, edition[12] of his radio show, Glenn Beck said:

Tonight is the beginning of the revealing of the puppet master. It is kind of a -- there is so much to tell. There's a lifetime to tell about George Soros, and it is very complex. But we go into the beginnings of the puppets, the strings. I think you're gonna learn some things tonight that you had no idea -- if it makes it into the show tonight because we're still editing and everything else, if it makes it into the show tonight, if it doesn't it will be on tomorrow -- you'll understand campaign finance reform and McCain-Feingold. You'll understand why it happened. You will understand what I have been saying about how the Democratic Party is over. It is gone. You'll understand the role that George Soros plays. You'll understand the history.

This isn't conjecture. I'm not asking you tonight to say that George Soros is -- that you have to take my word that he is collapsing our dollar and that he is subverting the Constitution and planning for a collapse of this regime -- the American Constitution. He is collapsing us. And I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm going to show you all of the things he has in place, and then I'm going to show you his history. He's done it before. And it's clear. It's exact-- he does it the same way every time.

Beck: Many on the left "are paid and fully purchased by the Soros regime." From the November 8, 2010, edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck (from Nexis):

BECK: America, hello, by the way.

I want to talk to you a little bit and kind of give you a little preview and a prelude of what is happening this week. If you are a long- time fan of this program, you know what happens when you Facebook post or tweet a positive or a defense of me or something that we talk about on this program. Try it if you haven't done it before. Oh, you are in for a treat. The flood gates of progressive hell open up on you.

And there is a seemingly, seemingly endless barrage of comments that pour in from people from all over the world strangely enough. And they are all the left of the left. Many of them are paid and fully purchased by the Soros regime.

Most of the comments that you'll get back won't be directed at me. They will be directed at you. You will be demonized for defending or even stupid enough to buy anything on the program.

I've asked you before and I'll ask again -- this week especially -- do not believe anything I tell you, because I tell it to you. Make sure you do your own homework.

If this is the first time seeing this program -- well, I think you're in for an eye-opener, too, because you've heard me described as a guy who's just full of hate, a racist, a conspiracy theorist, just trying to get people to blow stuff up or create another Oklahoma City. That's the latest from the Soros clan. Well, if that were true, then America just isn't the place that I thought it was. Most likely not the place you thought it was. I mean a racist, hate-filled host who is openly trying to get people to be violent would have zero viewers in the America I know and love.

Beck: Soros controls the media

Beck: Soros has "purchased the system" of mass media. During the November 8, 2010, edition[13] of his Fox News show, Beck said, "The press gets a lot of their money from George Soros. He has purchased the system." Beck went on to purportedly show "the media purchased by George Soros" and who are "in the bag for him." Beck also said that "the press has protected the puppet master for a very long time," but that his show was "the canary in the coal mine."

Beck: Soros is "buying journalists." On the October 20, 2010, edition[14] of Glenn Beck, Beck said:

America, George Soros is buying up your whole damn town. Yesterday, we told you the Tides Foundation is funding the Huffington Post investigative arm. That's the arm that says, "Get him!"

Then, like Soros is funding now Media Matters, you have Soros basically announcing today, "Get him!" And then you have a new "Get him" department in NPR, $1.8 million to buy 100 journalists, again funded by George Soros.

So, really, this wanted poster, "Dead or Alive," is really only 3 or $4 million of his money. We don't know how much money Tides has given to the Huffington Post Investigative Fund. They like to keep their donors anonymous. Check their website.

That's weird, because nobody's saying that in the press when the president is saying about shadow organizations buying elections and stuff. They're not buying elections only. They're buying journalists -- NPR, Media Matters.

Beck lashes out at "George Soros media networks." From the July 21, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck (from Nexis):

BECK: How many times have you read in the media things like -- oh, here's one. Beck distorts Obama administration's language. You know, this is from George Soros media networks, but it's also -- it's also on "Think Progress," George Soros, and "Huffington Post," all the -- you know.

And most of these blogs and the media outlets weren't all owned by George Soros and paid as much attention to the administration and government as they did trying to attack me and faux news -- I love it, I've got a gem! "Faux news." F-A-U-X. Oh, that's brilliant!

If they would pay attention to the real news, the republic probably would be safer. But after seeing the news like we did from the "Daily Caller" and "Journo-List" that we showed you yesterday -- and there are more today, journalists showing their true colors. Let's show you that in a minute. It's easy to see why no one in the media bothers asking this administration questions.

Instead, the outlets say -- I'm the one jumping to conclusions. I'm the one smearing and lying. Oh, man!

[...]

BECK: See, context matters, but not to the people of the Soros company. They believe media matters. "Media Matters." No, no.

No, not so much anymore, my friends because we realize to you, context doesn't matter. You see, that's how, you know, call me old-fashioned, but when I was a kid, that's what we used to do.

Beck: Soros controls elections

Beck suggested Soros was behind purported scheme to steal MN Senate election. On the January 18, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck, Beck said of Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, "He is the Katherine Harris. He was an ACORN-supported guy, handpicked by the George Soros-funded SOS Project. SOS is designed specifically to have control of the power in close elections -- lesson learned apparently." On October 13, Beck said of Soros, "the guy who spent the last few elections donating tens of millions of dollars, trying to elect progressive and push the progressive issues, started SOS, where you can control the secretary of state -- you know, the people who are in charge of the recounts in states like, oh, I don't know, Minnesota, Al Franken." (From Nexis.)

In fact, the suggestion that George Soros, Mark Ritchie, or anyone else stole the Minnesota Senate election is completely fabricated. In its decision rejecting Norm Coleman's appeal of the decision declaring Franken the winner, the Minnesota Supreme Court stated[15] that "[n]o claim of fraud in the election or during the recount was made by either party" and that "Coleman's counsel confirmed at oral argument that Coleman makes no claim of fraud on the part of either voters or election officials."

Beck: Soros is bankrolling U.S. elections. From the January 28, 2010, edition of Beck's Fox News show, in which he discussed Obama's State of the Union remarks on the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (from Nexis):

BECK: Here's what the president said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interest -- including foreign corporations -- to spend without limit in our election.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interest, or worse, by foreign entities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Yes, maybe like George Soros.

This is the Supreme Court of the United States. Look what he's doing here. FDR did it. They rule on something, say it's unconstitutional. He says, "I don't really care. I'm going to fight you. I'm going to go around you. I'll do whatever I have to do."

Well, let me ask you this. Did you see what happened with Judge Sam Alito? He reacted by shaking his head and mouthing the words, "Not true." It's not true. And now, he's getting ripped apart.

Beck: "This is George Soros's money, hand-picking secretary of states so they have them in his pocket." From the October 31, 2010, edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck (from Nexis):

BECK: Remember, SEIU and the voting booth glitch in Harry Reid's home state of Nevada, where the machines were mysteriously pre-selecting Harry Reid. Don't worry, everything is A-OK. Secretary of state Ross Miller said there's no evidence of voter fraud. Wonderful news coming from SEIU- endorsed Ross Miller. Oh, one more endorsement for Secretary of State Miller, George Soros.

This is from his SOS (ph) project page. By the way, SOS, Support Secretaries of State who will protect the election, the Secretary of State project. This is George Soros's money, hand-picking secretary of states so they have them in his pocket.

Al Franken. Remember Al Franken? Here's the site. "Since we launched in the fall of 2006, we have engaged in 11 races and have backed the winning candidate in 9 states, including Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana and Nevada." No fraud here. So says SEIU and George Soros. You can trust us. Move along. These aren't the droids you're looking for.

(LAUGHTER)

BECK: You have to go out and vote. You have to get everybody you know to go out and vote. Do not -- do not allow yourself to get involved with the George Soros cronies. If it is a close call on Tuesday, George Soros will be managing the recounts just to make sure it's fair. Don't let the intimidation of rocks (ph) and agitators suppress you.

Beck repeatedly cited anti-Semitic sources on his shows

Beck cited book from Nazi supporter Elizabeth Dilling on his radio show. On the June 4, 2010 edition of his radio program, Beck promoted[16]The Red Network by Elizabeth Dilling, which is a book that contains[17] numerous passages espousing anti-Semitism and racism. At various points throughout the book, Dilling attacks "racial inter-mixture" as a communist plot[18], refers to "un-Christianized" "colored people" as "savages," called Hinduism and Islam "debasing and degrading," and blamed Nazi Germany's anti-Semitism on "revolutionary Russian Jews." Furthermore, Dilling was a Nazi sympathizer who visited Germany in the late 1930s, attended[19] Nazi party meetings, and praised Adolf Hitler's leadership. Dilling also spoke at rallies hosted by the leading U.S. Nazi organization, the German-American Bund.

Dilling's history of anti-Semitism includes calling[16] President Eisenhower "Ike the Kike" and labeling President Kennedy's New Frontier program the "Jew frontier." British professors Christopher Partridge and Ron Geaves wrote[20] that Dilling was a "pro-Nazi antisemite" who disseminated the anti-Semitic hoax Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. Furthermore, Dilling's work has been promoted[16] by David Duke and the group Women for Aryan Unity.

Beck refused to apologize for promoting Dilling's work, saying[21] on the June 7, 2010 edition of his radio show:

But I'm also getting some amazing mail from the left that now says I'm a Nazi anti-Semite because I quoted a book on Friday -- it was the Red Book, or something like that. It was a who's who, who's in the communist party in 1935. Apparently, I don't know, apparently written by a Nazi sympathizer here in America. Part of the, I'm sure -- I don't know because I didn't look it up -- but I'm sure part of the Father Coughlin, social justice crowd, because this is the choice that progressives give you -- you're either a Nazi or a communist. No, I'm neither. But now -- so now I'm kind of stuck between the place where the left says that I'm a Nazi sympathizer and a Jew lover. So I guess the left can have it all, that I'm a Jew-loving Nazi sympathizer. It's a really interesting place that I don't know if anybody's ever been.

Beck pushed book from "anti-Semitic" "one-man organization of hate" on Fox News. On the September 22, 2010 edition of his Fox News show, Beck cited[22] Eustace Mullins' book Secrets of the Federal Reserve. Mullins was a 9-11 truther who has been described as an "anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist" and a "nationally known white supremacist"; the ADL called the book "a re-hash of Mullins' anti-Semitic theories about the origins of the Federal Reserve." In addition, in an obituary for Mullins, the Daily News Leader of Staunton, Virginia, described Mullins as a "[n]ationally known white supremacist and anti-Semite." The obituary noted that in 2000, the Southern Poverty Law Center described him as "a one-man organization of hate."

Beck cited anti-Semitic smear that Soros pursued a Jewish "agenda" to collapse Southeast Asian currencies. On the October 5, 2010 edition of his Fox News show, Beck continued[6] his smear campaign against George Soros, saying that "many, including the Malaysian prime minister, believe it was billionaire speculator George Soros who helped trigger the [Southeast Asian] economic meltdown" in 1997, a reference to former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's false and anti-Semitic claim that Soros was part of a Jewish "agenda" to collapse Southeast Asian currencies. In an October 10, 1997, report from the Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian(excerpted by BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, accessed via Nexis), Mahathir was quoted as saying: "We do not want to say that this is a plot by the Jews, but in reality it is a Jew who triggered the currency plunge, and coincidentally Soros is a Jew. It is also a coincidence that the Malaysians are mostly Muslim." From the report:

Kuala Terengganu, 10th October: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that the government suspects that the Jews have an agenda to destroy the economy of this country and other Muslim countries. Also Dr Mahathir did not reject the possibility that the attack on the local currency was to shut his mouth so that he would stop criticizing George Soros, a Jew who hailed from Hungary. "We do not want to say that this is a plot by the Jews, but in reality it is a Jew who triggered the currency plunge, and coincidentally Soros is a Jew. It is also a coincidence that the Malaysians are mostly Muslim."

"Indeed, the Jews are not happy to see Muslims. If it were Palestine, the Jews would rob Palestinians. Thus this is what they are doing to our country," he said when referring to Soros' involvement in the depreciation of the ringgit.

According to an October 11, 1997, Agence France-Presse article (from Nexis), Mahathir later denied that he was suggesting a Jewish agenda resulted in his country's economic crisis:

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Saturday said he did not accuse the Jews of undermining the economy of Malaysia and other Moslem countries.

"I merely stated that this person (American financier George Soros) is Jewish," Mahathir was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency in the Moslem dominated eastern coastal state of Terengganu.

As AFP reported[7] in an October 15, 2006, article, Mahathir met with Soros and said of their meeting: "Mr Soros said he was not involved in the devaluation of the Malaysian currency and that other people were involved. And I have accepted that."